That’s because Cole, ever the populist, relies only on his core fans for his success, rather than ubiquity. We are sure to see KOD, whatever the hell it stands for, debut at number 1 even if Cole, as seems likely, does no press and releases no music in advance. It’s an approach that’s perfectly designed for the streaming age, and a lead time so long that nearly every potential listener will be acutely aware of Scorpion when it drops.ĭrake’s approach, obviously, is working. And only after he has market-tested a handful of proven hits does the album announcement come. As soon as one song has been stuck in everyone’s head for a few months, he just replaces it with another, replacing himself at the top of the charts in the process. Rather than putting out an album with no advance music and next to no notice, Drake has been releasing music continuously (and judiciously) for the past few months.
It’s a far different approach from the other blockbuster album announced on Monday: Drake’s Scorpion. Despite that, they both ended up on the Billboard Hot 100. 2013 was the day that changed everything for J. The only songs we heard before that album’s release, “False Prophets” and “Everybody Dies,” weren’t even on the album (instead, they appeared in the documentary Eyez), and were barely promoted. Shawn is also the former editor-in-chief of Rap Genius and the creator and. We’ve received less and less warning about each Cole project since Born Sinner, culminating in 2016’s 4 Your Eyez Only. Cole, both of whom, if neither you or Jay Elect realized, are currently sitting comfortably in the upper echelon of the rap game when looking at just about any. He’s become a different kind of rap star, doing seemingly whatever he wants, ignoring traditional gatekeepers, and sharing only what he sees fit-and having huge commercial success nonetheless.
#Rap genius j cole immortal tv#
So why then go through the aggravation of the normal 10-week album rollout plan? Why subject yourself to endless radio station visits, the countless five-minute interviews with the same questions asked over and over again, the perpetual calls to action via social media, the same five podcast appearances everyone else makes, the listening parties where no one actually listens, the repetitive late night TV show circuit? Since that moment, Cole has had concrete evidence that he could depend on his fans to back him up him the moment he drops new music. Remember the immortal video of Drake buying a gang of copies at Best Buy? Placing himself as the underdog in a sales battle helped him rally his fanbase and peers to support him. While Cole’s album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 behind Yeezus, it actually moved up to number 1 in its third week on the chart, at which point Born Sinner was actually outselling Kanye’s project.Ĭole setting up that head-to-head battle with rap’s biggest star did more than get him a lot of press. "But I can put my name in the hat and tell you that I think my album is great and you be the judge and you decide." "This is art, and I can't compete against the Kanye West celebrity and the status that he's earned just from being a genius," he explained at the time. Cole had originally been scheduled to drop his album a week later, but moved the date up to coincide with Kanye in order to, he said, make a “ statement.” That was when Jermaine Cole released Born Sinner, and it was also the day that Kanye West put out a little album called Yeezus.
Proof.Jwas the day that changed everything for J. He just wants to get some recognition off of rap too. Get ready to step up your game with some soulful musical sounds inspired by RocNation’s artist and producer, J Cole. How else could I explain my omnipresent cynicism and current numbness to continued disappointment? But the fact of the matter is, we need material. The FADERs Sam Balaban tells the story behind the DreamVille crews East Village bar crawl. Obviously rap isn't a popularity contest metrics and figures don't always equate to respect and influence, but what are we supposed to use as the basis for Jay Elect's declaration? Rap Genius annotations? How many double meanings and left-field references are contained within verses?ĭon't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Jay Electronica. Sales figures, Billboard charts, fans, critical acclaim, take your pick. Cole, both of whom, if neither you or Jay Elect realized, are currently sitting comfortably in the upper echelon of the rap game when looking at just about any metric used to judge an artist's sucess in this day and age.
0 kommentar(er)
